The Anambra State Police Command has rescued a three year old girl in Nnobi, Idemili South Local Government Area, following an alleged abduction and attempted sale that reportedly extended to Calabar, Cross River State.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued in Awka on Saturday. He said the case was transferred from the Ogbaru Police Division in Atani after allegations involving conspiracy, child stealing and harbouring.

According to Ikenga, operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad in Awkuzu recovered the child in the early hours of November 21 following intelligence driven operations.

The police spokesman explained that preliminary investigations identified Chioma Anioma, an apprentice to the victim’s family, as the alleged abductor. She reportedly abandoned the child in Nnobi after police operatives tracked her movements to Calabar, where the child had allegedly been sold to another suspect.

Ikenga said the suspect allegedly escaped arrest as police closed in on her. She later contacted the child’s parents and disclosed where the girl had been abandoned.

The police confirmed that the child had been safely reunited with her parents. However, the person who allegedly received the child in Calabar remained at large at the time of the statement.

The command said investigations were continuing to identify and apprehend all suspects connected to the alleged abduction and trafficking.

The case highlights the importance of promptly reporting suspected child abductions and providing investigators with relevant information. Anyone with credible information about the outstanding suspects should contact the appropriate police authorities.